Hey all! I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!! Well, some of you have been wanting to hear about my trip, so here goes....

Now first off let me say, no one needs to tell Bootsy that she has a tendency to be long winded at times, and I don't want to bore anyone to tears by taking too long to tell about what happened and stuff, so I think I'll try posting it in little chunks, let you all digest it, ask questions if you want, etc., and then move on.

So to begin....my general feelings about Europe is that it's great to visit but I wouldn't want to live there (with the exception of the Netherlands and Scotland). There are a lot of little things in Europe that made me appreciate the little things back home. Let's start with this one: street signs. Now most places that I have been to in America have street signs out on little posts at every corner, easy to find and read, often in bright reflective colors. Not so in Europe! Pretty much all street signs (assuming you can find them), are attached to the facades of the buildings on the corners of streets. Not altogether bad once you get used to knowing where to look for 'em, but it gets exceedingly frustrating when you are half lost and can't find a street sign. This is because they don't post signs at every single corner, like we are used to. Sometimes you have to walk for blocks to find another street sign. I don't know if this is intentional, or if they fell down, or what...but it is frustrating for the tourist. Additionally, they often place the signs at such an angle on the building that if you are standing directly under the building, you can't see the sign. More than once I had to cross the street just so I could read the street sign on the building I had been standing right next to!

So the first place we went was London. Getting there was uneventful. London was cool and ranks probably around 3rd or 4th on my list of favorite places I went (stay tuned for 1 and 2!) Probably my favorite attraction there was the Tower of London. (I like all the history-rich gory medieval type places). My mom tripped and fell flat on her face at the Tower, which is I'm sure a story we'll be telling for the rest of our lives. I also loved the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Some police guy who worked at Parliament told us that Parliament is the most beautiful building in London, and I think it's probably true, unfortunately the public only has very limited access. I sat in on a disscussion for a short while....they were talking about the economic situation of Scotland....at 9:30 PM! I wouldn't have expected them to be working so late....

I loved Westminster Abbey....it's just so.....old! I really dig looking at all that old stuff, and touching stones and door handles that are like 1000s of years old. If you ever go, it is WELL worth the extra pound to gain entrance to the Abbey Museum and the....the...the something else that I can't remember the name of right now. (I think it was called the pict or something). Basically it's just a tiny room, but it's the oldest part of the Abbey. When you go ask the worker to point out to you the holes left in the rock by the scaffolding used by William the Conqueror's men! Cool stuff!

I also really liked-of all things- the London Underground. It was my first ride on a subway, and silly me, I think it was kind of fun (though I suppose it would quickly loose its charm if I had to ride it every day of my life). Some of the "Tube" stations were decorated quite nicely, and I reckon it's pretty clean as far as subways go (at least far cleaner than the Paris Metro!) It's also ridiculously easy to use-trust me-it looks a little daunting at first, but it's a piece of cake! Just don't forget to "mind the gap", lol....they always say that when getting on and off the trains.

Oh yeah, the British Library was pretty cool...seeing the Magna Carta and Gutenburg Bibles and all. And the British Museum was nice, but it was overwhelming in its size. I also couldn't help being struck with the feeling that all this stuff should be returned to the countries it was stolen from (let's face it folks, these treasures were stolen), and although there wouldn't be much to the British Museum if they got rid of them, I think they should do the right thing and return at least some of them. But at any rate I suppose there's nothing I can do about that...it was cool seeing the REAL Rosetta stone (there's a fake one at my University's library, but of course nothing compares to the real thing).

Madame Tussaud's was way cooler than I thought it would be. Initially I didn't want to go at all, but I knew my mom wanted to go, so we did. I don't care so much for seeing wax figures of celebrities or heads of state (though I just could not resist getting my picture taken with Patrick Stewart [Capt. Jean-Luc Picard for those not in the know!]...he really was life like, I wager one of the best ones there, and I'm gonna see how many people I can fool with that pic!!) But the part I liked best was the dungeon area, where they showed torture devices and what medieval life was like and things. They talked about who Madame Tussaud really was (her job was making wax figures of aristocracy that had been killed....that's how the whole thing got started...). They also have there the guillotine that killed Marie Antoinette, which I'm sure pisses off the Conciergerie in Paris (more on that later!)

We also went to like a million palaces, because my mom is into the Royal Family. We saw Kensington Palace (former home of late Princess Diana), St. James Palace and Coventry House (home of Prince Charles and late Queen Mum respectively, both of which you can't go into so we just took a pic from the outside), and of course, the Grandaddy of London palaces, Buckingham. We couldn't go inside because the Queen was in residence, but we did actually SEE the Queen, something that I was told by a few UK citizens that they haven't ever done. Not that it was any huge deal....we were all waiting for the changing of the guard...I was a little peeved that I couldn't get close to the gates to see because lots of people were already there, but suddenly someone yells "It's the Queen!" and the sea of people parted, giving me access to the front! Yippie! I turned around and did indeed see the Queen, looking all tiny in her little chauffered car and pill box hat thingy. I didn't bother to rush over and try to take a picture because I wasn't about to give up my spot and I was too far away anyway. Then after the changing of the guard (which took WAY longer than I thought it would) we saw her on her way back to the palace. We were much closer this time and I tried to take a picture, but who knows if it came out of not...

Well I guess I'll stop talking about London for now. I might have something more to add later, I don't know...if you have any questions feel free to ask. I probably will only be coming here every other day or so, so I'll post some more in a few days! Coming up: Bath, Brussels, and Bruges, OH MY! :lol:

Sounds like you had a blast in Europe!!! I love travelling in Europe as well and London is fantastic! Looking forward to reading more about your trip in upcoming posts!!! :)

Cool! I can live out a trip to Europe through you! :lol:

Originally posted by Bootsy Whoosh
Then after the changing of the guard (which took WAY longer than I thought it would)

Don't the guards stand there for about 14 hours before changing? And is it true that they have to stand very very still? Ha, maybe my dad was lying........

Welcome back Bootsy! And thanks for the travelogue! I have always wanted to go to the British Isles(London especially). Glad you got back home safe and sound.:wave:

Originally posted by Bootsy Whoosh
Let's start with this one: street signs. Now most places that I have been to in America have street signs out on little posts at every corner, easy to find and read, often in bright reflective colors. Not so in Europe! Pretty much all street signs (assuming you can find them), are attached to the facades of the buildings on the corners of streets. Not altogether bad once you get used to knowing where to look for 'em, but it gets exceedingly frustrating when you are half lost and can't find a street sign. This is because they don't post signs at every single corner, like we are used to. Sometimes you have to walk for blocks to find another street sign. I don't know if this is intentional, or if they fell down, or what...but it is frustrating for the tourist. Additionally, they often place the signs at such an angle on the building that if you are standing directly under the building, you can't see the sign. More than once I had to cross the street just so I could read the street sign on the building I had been standing right next to!

Tell me about it. The pain and suffering! Luckily I had relatives to take me around when I was in Europe. :lol:

Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your trip Bootsy. I'll be looking forward to hearing more. And like Penny Lane said, glad you got back safe and sound. I was beginning to wonder.

Welcome Back :wave:


Oh and BTW London Rox thats where Cats started...anyway....welcome back again.

You're back! Gosh, I was starting to get bored around here. ;)

Welcome back Bootsy!! :wave:
I've been waiting for you to return to the boards cos I'm dying to hear your thoughts on Scotland!!
Sorry about the appalling state of our street signs - it's like that everywhere here. It's a real pain in the arse but you get used to it.

And Karli - your dad is right. The guards have to stand really still. They're not allowed to react to anything. You could go right up in their face and start screaming at them and there's nothing they can do about it - they have to just stand there, staring straight ahead! :lol:

Originally posted by Mossopp
And Karli - your dad is right. The guards have to stand really still. They're not allowed to react to anything. You could go right up in their face and start screaming at them and there's nothing they can do about it - they have to just stand there, staring straight ahead! :lol:

LOL! Maybe when I go to Ireland I'll somehow get to England, and get close enough to chuck a rock at one of them....THEN the'll hafta react! :D :D

Wait, off topic here, but I just noticed that Mossopp and I have the exact number of posts! (Well, this will be one up)

Anyway, Bootsy, you must tell us of your other adventures abroad.

Hello all....adding another chapter to the Europe adventure....

Thanks everyone for wishing me well and welcoming me back. I did make it back safe and sound, except for this European Death Cold....I started sneezing in Scotland and I have been sick ever since (going on 3 weeks now...) I'm not really too sick, I just have a cold I cannot shake! Bummer....silly European germs that I am not resistant to...I seriously can't even remember the last time I had a cold before this, and it feels very bizarre to have a cold in the middle of June!

Speaking of being sick...Chapter Two in our installment of Things in Europe That Make Me Appreciate America: Pasteurized Milk! Now as far as I could tell, milk was pastuerized everywhere in the UK...so I was OK there.....but there are some places on the mainland where milk is not pastuerized, and when I was in Germany I got really sick and we had to stay in half the day (let's just say I had to run to the bathroom alot, which is why we had to be confined to the hostel). Now I am not absolutly sure it was the milk that did me in, but I think it was, because my mom had a tiny glass of it, and she got a little sick, but I had two big glasses of it, and I got really sick! And there really wasn't anything else that day I had eaten that would've made me sick..
One last note on being sick...if you ever go to Paris, eat at the crepe stands at your own risk. I think it is wiser to go to a crepe restaurant....my last day in Paris I got two crepes at a stand, because I looooooove crepes and since it was my last day...I splurged...before I even got done eating them all (I only had like half of each) I started feeling a little sick. I saved the crepes thinking I might eat them later that day, but it got to the point where I couldn't even look at or stand to smell the crepes, (I still can't and even the thought of them makes me feel a little quesy even now) so I had to thrown them out (one of them was filled with Nutella, and after that I couldn't even stand the smell or sight of Nutella)...Anyway....I got really really really sick the next day...which was lovely because that was the day we had to spend about 8 hours on trains going from Paris to Edinburgh...imagine having to run to the bathroom frequently (for 2 reasons no less) when you are trapped on a train...with screaming kids next to you....and we were in the "quiet" coach....GRRRRR!!! Anyhoo, I think the problem was, crepes have eggs in them, and they just sit huge stacks of them out like all day, not even refrigerated or anything, so I think they got spoiled or something, because crepes were all I ate that day, and as soon as I vomited up the last bit of crepe, I started feeling better. Hope that wasn't too graphic or disgusting for you all....

To answer Karly's (I see we are spelling it with a "y" now....?) question, as Mossopp said the palace guards do have to stand still (except for when they hut around and pace back and forth and stuff), but they do 24 hours shifts, not 14. At least that's what I'd always heard.... And Mossopp....Scotland was the last place I went, so you'll just have to be patient...muhahahahahaha :p Maybe I'll PM you a few things sometime....but suffice it to say, as a small preview of things to come, I have nothing but good things to say about Scotland!

And one last note about London....I forgot to mention that I saw both Cats (now no longer playing there) and Les Miserables while I was there.

So ok....our last day in London we wanted to take a day trip to Bath...we show up in Paddington Station and some guy working there tells us that if at all possible we shouldn't go to Bath that day...well it was our last day in England so we had to go that day or not go at all! The reason he said that was, unbeknownst (sp?) to us, there was some big soccer finals that day in Cardiff, Wales (which is west of London, as is Bath, for those unfamiliar with the geography). Both teams in the tourney were London teams (Arsenal and Chelsea), which meant masses of people from London were heading west that day, and droves would be heading back east that night after the game... well we decided to go anyway, but we didn't get to bath til about 1PM, and we were a little nervous about being able to make it back to London so we left at like 5:30PM (Not that it really mattered anyway....everything in Bath shut down at like 5 PM....that's another thing....in general things close really early in Europe compared to America....and like nothing I saw was open 24 hours). So anyhoo....Bath is a really old town that used to be occupied by the Romans, and they had a huge expanse of public baths there (hence the name...) So basically the main draw is the Roman baths. However, Bath was also very popular with the aristocracy in Victorian times, and it was considered the place to take a vacation...Jane Austin lived there, and I guess some of her novels are set there (I've never read any of them, but that's what they told me on the tour). Bath also has some lovely gardens, and I guess supposedly there's some flower competition in the UK, and there have been a few times when the officials have asked Bath not to enter, because every time they enter they win. So anyway, we took a tour of the baths, which was interesting...and for 50 pence you could drink some of the water from the hot springs there which supposedly has healing properties....I figured, eh, you only live once, so I tried it. It was warm (which for some stupid reason I was not expecting..."hot springs" should have tipped me off though :crazy: ) and it tasted very metallic. I was interesting to see how the Romans had devised a way to heat the rooms and the floors by controlling how the steam flowed. Anyway, there wasn't much else to see there, but we did have tea (my mom wanted to have "high tes" which is when they serve the little finger sandwhiches and stuff, but they didn't serve it where we went). So anyway, we had tea and scones and clotted cream and all that rot...

Ok well I've already blathered alot today, so I'll save Belgium for another day....

And as for pictures....I am still in the process of getting them developed, and as for my digital pictures, I don't think I'm even going to bother to upload them until I get a USB port on my CPU, so I can use my card reader...so basically what that means is I'll work on getting some pictures on sometime that you all can look at. I think I might try to get one of those online photo albums or something and just give you all the address, instead of clogging things up here with them. But still, I can't make any promises, but I will try.....

Thanks for sharing your travel adventures with us! I can't wait to hear more. Sounds like you had a great time. (Except for the little run-in with the bad food :( )


Originally posted by Bootsy Whoosh

I also really liked-of all things- the London Underground. It was my first ride on a subway, and silly me, I think it was kind of fun (though I suppose it would quickly loose its charm if I had to ride it every day of my life). Some of the "Tube" stations were decorated quite nicely, and I reckon it's pretty clean as far as subways go (at least far cleaner than the Paris Metro!) It's also ridiculously easy to use-trust me-it looks a little daunting at first, but it's a piece of cake! Just don't forget to "mind the gap", lol....they always say that when getting on and off the trains.


When I was in London, I thought the Underground was fun too! And I also thought it was easy to use. When I tried to get somewhere by walking I would get lost and I'd have to get on the tube to figure out how to get where I was going. :lol:

Originally posted by Bootsy Whoosh
Hello all....adding another chapter to the Europe adventure....








So ok....our last day in London we wanted to take a day trip to Bath...we show up in Paddington Station and some guy working there tells us that if at all possible we shouldn't go to Bath that day...well it was our last day in England so we had to go that day or not go at all! The reason he said that was, unbeknownst (sp?) to us, there was some big soccer finals that day in Cardiff, Wales (which is west of London, as is Bath, for those unfamiliar with the geography). Both teams in the tourney were London teams (Arsenal and Chelsea), which meant masses of people from London were heading west that day, and droves would be heading back east that night after the game... well we decided to go anyway, but we didn't get to bath til about 1PM, and we were a little nervous about being able to make it back to London so we left at like 5:30PM (Not that it really mattered anyway....everything in Bath shut down at like 5 PM....that's another thing....in general things close really early in Europe compared to America....and like nothing I saw was open 24 hours). So anyhoo....Bath is a really old town that used to be occupied by the Romans, and they had a huge expanse of public baths there (hence the name...) So basically the main draw is the Roman baths. However, Bath was also very popular with the aristocracy in Victorian times, and it was considered the place to take a vacation...Jane Austin lived there, and I guess some of her novels are set there (I've never read any of them, but that's what they told me on the tour). Bath also has some lovely gardens, and I guess supposedly there's some flower competition in the UK, and there have been a few times when the officials have asked Bath not to enter, because every time they enter they win. So anyway, we took a tour of the baths, which was interesting...and for 50 pence you could drink some of the water from the hot springs there which supposedly has healing properties....I figured, eh, you only live once, so I tried it. It was warm (which for some stupid reason I was not expecting..."hot springs" should have tipped me off though :crazy: ) and it tasted very metallic. I was interesting to see how the Romans had devised a way to heat the rooms and the floors by controlling how the steam flowed. Anyway, there wasn't much else to see there, but we did have tea (my mom wanted to have "high tes" which is when they serve the little finger sandwhiches and stuff, but they didn't serve it where we went). So anyway, we had tea and scones and clotted cream and all that rot...



Gosh, I cannot wait until I make my way over there...(12 days and counting...) I'm going to Bath as well. It's near the end of my trip, right before London. This is a great precursor guide of sorts. I appreciate it. :)

Originally posted by Cokies
Gosh, I cannot wait until I make my way over there...(12 days and counting...) I'm going to Bath as well. It's near the end of my trip, right before London. This is a great precursor guide of sorts. I appreciate it. :)

So where all are you going, Cokies? I knew you were going to London but it sounds like you are going elsewhere too...are you going with family, friends, or like a church/youth group? Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time... And it's my pleasure to provide a "guide". Perhaps I should think of a few more useful tips just for you....

...hmmm....here's one: Caveat Emptor! Never has the term "buyer beware" been so relevant in my life than in Europe. The old American adage of "the customer is always right" does not seem to exist in Europe, or at the very least is not in wide practice there. I got screwed out of 40 Euros (about $40) when I was in Belgium. I needed a new battery charger for my digital camera. The one I brought functions fine, but the plugs in Belgium are in these deep wells, and they have a third prong I wasn't expecting, so I couldn't plug in my currency converter thing...hence I needed either a plug adapter or a European charger. When I went shopping, of course the packaging was not in English. However, I know enough French to muddle through most situations and I was pretty sure that it said it would take over 17 hours to charge batteries in this charger, which wasn't going to do me any good, I needed one that charges in like 3-5 hours. I spoke to the lady at the store who was very nice (at least to my face). I asked if she knew of anyplace nearby that I could just buy a plug adapter and she said no place would sell it. She assured me that new batteries would take 15 hours to get fully charged, but if I was using batteries that had already been charged once, it should only take about 5. Well sure enough, when I open it up, there are English instructions on the INSIDE :rolleyes: and they say it will take 15-17 hours. I stick in my "already charged several times" batteries and sure enough, 13 hours later they are not charged! I was furious and felt very taken advantage of. Sometimes I felt like some Europeans hear an American accent and think that it is an opportunity to take advantage of you. (Of course I realize that the majority of Europeans are not like this, and I'm sure it works both ways too...unfortunately there are probably Americans that think the same way about foreigners). So anyhoo, we go back to the store the next morning and explain to them the situation, about what the girl had told me, etc, but they didn't give a damn. (They were quite rude to me too). I told them I needed a charger that charged in 3-5 hours and the guy laughed in my face and said they don't exist. Then he said they do but they cost 150 Euros. (I wanted to tell him that he was a liar because just up the street in my hotel room I had a 3 hour charger that only cost $30, but I bit my tongue. After all, they may just be cheaper in America...) So yeah, he was a total jerk to me and wouldn't take it back. And what made me mad was the attitude I got there....not even the money so much (though that did have me pretty steamed...) but if they could at least have been nice about it I would've felt better. But of course, if this had happened in America I would've had no problem at all returning it and getting my money back...or at the very least getting store credit.

But...it's not America...that's one thing not to do: some people go to Europe and expect to find America, which you won't. True you may see a McDonald's or a Pizza Hut (or you may see several thousand Pizza Huts...there is a place in London..Leichester Square....I kid you not there are like 7 Pizza Huts in 2 city blocks. You can be standing outside of one, look up the street, and see a sign for another one!) Anyway, so moral of the story, just be careful what you buy because you will likely be stuck with it.

If anyone is wondering how I solved my battery charger quandry...when I got to Amsterdam I was talking to a man that worked at my hostel about my problem...he took me two doors down the street to an electronic store where I could purchase a 2.50 Euro plug converter to use! *siiiiiiigh*

While I'm on the subject of Belgium I'll just finish it up because I don't have alot to say about it. Belgium was probably my least favorite place I went. Brussels is dirty and absolutely everything is closed on Sunday. We arrived on a Sunday and I hadn't eaten yet, but I swear to you there was not one restaurant open (except for a scary looking Turkish one). Thank goodness we had brought some crackers and candy bars with us! There isn't a whole lot to see in Brussels, except for the Market Place are, which is a square with a bunch of stores and restuarants all in beautiful Baroque architecture. This part of the city is iddylic and beautiful and charming....the rest of it kind of sucked. Bruges was alot nicer....it's a pretty well preserved little medieval town, with interesting architecture and a bunch of canals running through it. I ordered a large soda at a restaurant there and it was huge! It was MASSIVE! It was BIGGER then the Big Gulp at 7-11! I don't know how big it was for sure, but I was quite surprised when I saw it. And it cost 8 Euro! For soda! :lol: That's one picture I've got to scan and put up here! So Bruges was pretty and all but it was a little boring, and the people there were kind rude everywhere I went (this is also where I had the battery charger problem). So Belgium was nice to visit once, but I'm not in any hurry to ever go back. But of course please remember that my experience there was tainted by losing $$, bad weather, and rude people. Please don't let me discourage anyone from going there. By all means go and judge for yourself if you so choose! You might love it!

Ok so I've been kind of focusing on some bad things here lately...like being sick, losing money...etc. I didn't mean to, and I promise to have some better happier stories next time....but then, next time I'll be talking about the Netherlands, and how could my stories from there not be good?!? ;)

8 Euro --(bucks?) for a soda? Did you get a buzz from it? They must lace them with something to give you that tingling feeling so you'll be wantin' more. lol

That sick episode sounded horrible. Extra horrible! I hardly ever get sick, but one time I was just about to board an airplane (I was in the airport) when suddenly I felt nauseous and felt the chills. I went into the bathroom and it passed as quickly as it hit me but I was in a panic there for awhile. How could I board an airplane when I'd be needing to squeeze into the little toilet coffin area? So I can imagine how double lousy you felt being, not just sick but sick in a confined area.

Originally posted by Bootsy Whoosh


So where all are you going, Cokies? I knew you were going to London but it sounds like you are going elsewhere too...are you going with family, friends, or like a church/youth group? Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time... And it's my pleasure to provide a "guide". Perhaps I should think of a few more useful tips just for you....
~
I ordered a large soda at a restaurant there and it was huge! It was MASSIVE! It was BIGGER then the Big Gulp at 7-11! I don't know how big it was for sure, but I was quite surprised when I saw it. And it cost 8 Euro! For soda! :lol: That's one picture I've got to scan and put up here!


Pretty much all across the British Isles. I leave on July 1st, flying to Shannon Airport in Ireland, then our group (I am going with a group from my hometown and elsewhere in conjuntion(sp?) with EF Tours) makes our way down the Ring of Kerry(the Ivernaugh Peninsula), then to kiss the Blarney Stone, up to Dublin.
We then take a ferry to Northern Wales over the Irish Sea. Then a drive up Scotland to the Highlands, (maybe I'll see Nessie), down to Edinburgh. Then down to England to York, to Stratford, to the Bath region, where I'll see the Roman baths you were talking about and Stonehenge. Then finally, our last stop, London.
Basically, the tour is called "Britian and Ireland in Depth". Merely 16 days, but it'll be fun.
And sure, please give all the tips you can muster. Especially to be warned of massive beverages the size of Big Gulps! :lol:

Well I didn't run into the whole MASSIVE drink problem anywhere in the UK, so you should be fine :lol: And no, Kitt, unfortunately I didn't get a buzz for my 8 Euros! Though I did make sure to drink it all, even though it was huge and I knew I'd have to go to the bathroom, I was not going to let an 8 Euro soda go to waste!

So this time instead of talking about things in Europe that make me appreciate the U.S., I'll mention something that I loved about Europe that I have never seen much of in America: street musicians. Now I know alot of people are irritated by street musicians, but I rather like them. I think it's neat to walk out of a train station and there's some guys playing the accordian, or to hear songs in the subway. It's almost as if Europe has a soundtrack, lol! I never got tired of hearing them play, and I wish more people would do that in America. It's just uplifting sometimes to hear a little unexpected music during the day. Cokies, when you go to Bath keep your eyes peeled for the guy playing the saw! He was sitting outside the entrance to the baths, playing a saw (like you cut wood with) with a bow. It actually sounded pretty good. I would have to say the strangest thing I saw in the world of street music was two American Indians, in a small town in Germany, playing a song by a Swedish band (ABBA). I think that really goes to show that music truely is an international language that really brings all kinds of people together!

Ok, I think I'll write about Amsterdam tomorrow because I've had a relapse in my European Death Cold (which since going to the doctor yesterday has been upgraded to European Death Bronchitis) and I'm feeling a little tired now (though that could be the codeine cough syrup talking...)

Quickly before I go, here's a tip for you Cokies, so hopefully you can avoid massive sodas: in metric, a 12 oz can of soda is 33mL (often written ,33 L) So when you are looking at a menu trying to pick a size of drink, that's a good way to gauge how much you will be getting. Alot of the drinks I saw came in ,25 L or ,50 L. Fifty mL is about the size of what a "Super Sized" or a "Biggie" drink in America might be.

Originally posted by Bootsy Whoosh


I would have to say the strangest thing I saw in the world of street music was two American Indians, in a small town in Germany, playing a song by a Swedish band (ABBA).
~
Quickly before I go, here's a tip for you Cokies, so hopefully you can avoid massive sodas: in metric, a 12 oz can of soda is 33mL (often written ,33 L) So when you are looking at a menu trying to pick a size of drink, that's a good way to gauge how much you will be getting. Alot of the drinks I saw came in ,25 L or ,50 L. Fifty mL is about the size of what a "Super Sized" or a "Biggie" drink in America might be.

:lol: Wonder if they would take requests? "Fernando", anyone? ;)

Doesn't sound too complicated. I'll probably cut and paste and print this out later. Thanks Bootsy!

Originally posted by Cokies
:lol: Wonder if they would take requests? "Fernando", anyone? ;)

Doesn't sound too complicated. I'll probably cut and paste and print this out later. Thanks Bootsy!

Actually, they were playing "Fernando"! How'd you guess? :lol:

And no problem...you'll get the hang of things quick....culture shock wasn't too big of a problem in the UK, for me at least...

Bootsy - I love hearing about your trip and your impressions of each country but pleeeeeeease get to the part about Scotland. You're killing me! :crazy:

That's interesting that you didn't find the culture in the US too different to the UK. I would have thought it would have been a bit of a shock to the system. I guess it just depends on what part of America you're from but I would have thought that life in the UK is vastly different to life in, say, New York or California.

C'mon though, tell us about Scotland!! How many toy Nessies did you buy? How much Irn Bru did you drink? How much haggis could you stomach? How many midgie bites did you suffer? DO TELL!! :lol:

Originally posted by Mossopp
pleeeeeeease get to the part about Scotland. You're killing me! :crazy:

That's interesting that you didn't find the culture in the US too different to the UK. I would have thought it would have been a bit of a shock to the system. I guess it just depends on what part of America you're from but I would have thought that life in the UK is vastly different to life in, say, New York or California.

C'mon though, tell us about Scotland!! How many toy Nessies did you buy? How much Irn Bru did you drink? How much haggis could you stomach? How many midgie bites did you suffer? DO TELL!! :lol:

Ok, Ok, :lol: for the sake of Mossopp's sanity, I will now talk about Scotland! *Stopping vacation story* *Fast forwarding vacation story* (Scotland was the last place I went so I had to fast forward for Mossopp!) ;)

Ok, to answer your questions: first off about culture shock, I think you're right, I think it may depend alot on where in America you are from. I am from the Midwest. But it's not to say there wasn't any culture shock, just that to me I didn't notice it as much in the UK as I did on the mainland. But I think alot of that may have to do with sharing a common language, which makes alot of things much easier.

I bought 4 toy Nessies: two for myself, one for my boyfriend's little sister, and one for one of my friends. Three of them were the same, they were mostly red and in a tartan pattern (so much more original than green) and they had a blue bonnet on. So cute! I got another smaller one for myself (I think I'll put it in my car), it's green, with huge oogily eyes and a red tongue sticking out!

I drank as much Irn Bru as I could! I got it whenever I could, because I thought it tasted cool and I knew I couldn't have it when I got home, so I drank alot. I even brought home one plastic bottle and one can of it. The bottle is gone, alas, but the can is still full (saving for a special day).

Honestly, I only ate a few forkfulls of haggis. Actually I didn't find it repulsive, but the whole eating guts thing makes me a little nervous--honestly, eating brains makes me nervous, and I wasn't sure if sheep brains are in it or not (I've since found out that they aren't-I think!) and really, I can eat all sorts of guts but the thought of eating brain just weirds me out too much, so I only had a few bites. I was going to ask the waitress if there were brains in it but I was too embarassed. Oh well, at least I had some so I know what it tastes like! I wanted to try veggie haggis as well, but I didn't get a chance. (Probably because I ate at Bella Pasta too much-dang that place is good!)

Actually, I didn't suffer any midgie bites...I was wondering about that because I kept thinking "where are all these midges Mossopp was talking about?" I don't even think I saw any. Who knows maybe the weather wasn't right or something....it was still fairly cold when I was there...

As for some of my general impressions about Scotland- LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT! :D One big reason I loved it so much: the people are SO nice! Everywhere we went in Scotland the people were so pleasant and kind and humorous. Never once were we made to feel like outsiders or pesky tourists. It's a make-you-feel-completely-and-instantly-at-home-totally-disarming kindness, which was wonderful. The only other people I encountered who generally were as nice as the Scots were the Dutch. Everywhere else...it's not that everyone was rude or mean, just that you were more likely to run into some rude people. I mean I swear, I don't recall running into one mean Scot. The only time was once, when I was crossing a street, some guy gunned his engine at me right when I crossed in front of his van, which made me jump like 3 feet because I thought he was gonna run over me. I was kinda mad at first, but it was kind of funny too.

Another reason I loved it: it is breathtakingly beautiful! I really loved the Highlands, which were probably the single most beautiful part I saw in all of Europe (though in fairness most other countries I stuck to the big cities). I saw some postcards of the wild heather on the hillsides and instantly decided that I simply have to visit sometime when the heather is in bloom (someone told me September).

Another reason: OK, now I must admit to having some bias, for you see, my ancestry is Scottish. I have other ancestry as well, like German and English and Irish, but for some reason, for years and years and years my Scottish ancestry is what I identified the most with (probably because my last name is Scottish). So I personally found it neat to be visiting the country my ancestors roamed around in. Plus I got to buy all sorts of cool tartan stuff in my family tartans, and family crests and all sorts of neat junk.

So anyway, there are some quick general impressions of Scotland. I have to go now, so I will tell you all more specifically about Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow later. :wave:

Originally posted by Mossopp


I guess it just depends on what part of America you're from but I would have thought that life in the UK is vastly different to life in, say, New York or California.



Vastly different? How so? It's interesting because I would think a place like the San Francisco Bay Area(where I live) would be more atuned to life in the UK than say, Hicksville, USA.
I'd appreciate your insight.

Thanks for putting me out of my misery Bootsy :) I'm glad you had a great time here. You're lucky that you escaped without any midgie bites. Perhaps the weather was too cold for them while you were here. If it's breezy or cold then the midgies tend to disappear.
As for the haggis thing - your fears were for nothing. There are no brains in haggis. I don't like the stuff myself. I couldn't tell you what veggie-haggis is like cos I've never tried it.
I was wondering if you had any problems understanding people while you were here?
That's cool that you brought some Irn Bru back with you. I thought you'd like it. I don't know anyone who actually dislikes Irn Bru and I was having visions of you going back home on the plane with suitcases full of the stuff! :lol:

Cokies, there are quite a few reasons I thought that America to Scotland would be a bit of a culture shock. Like I said though, it'd probably depend on exactly where in the States you were coming from. Bootsy's from the Midwest and if what I've heard is correct then life in the Midwest isn't exactly hectic. The pace of life in big American cities would be a lot more crazy than life in any of Britains major cities. For one thing, our 'big' cities probably look like little towns compared to some American cities! In fact, everything is just smaller. You can drive from one side of Scotland to the other in, like, 3 hours. It'd take an entire day just to drive across one state in America!
I guess the currency would be difficult to get used to, aswell as the fact that everything here is overpriced!
If you went to school here you'd notice a huge difference. School spirit is non-existant here. The vast majority of our schools are underfunded and, as a result, are falling apart. For example, they are tearing down the entire east side of the school I used to go to because the building is literally falling down around the students!

Originally posted by Mossopp

I was wondering if you had any problems understanding people while you were here?

Bootsy's from the Midwest and if what I've heard is correct then life in the Midwest isn't exactly hectic. The pace of life in big American cities would be a lot more crazy than life in any of Britains major cities. For one thing, our 'big' cities probably look like little towns compared to some American cities! In fact, everything is just smaller. You can drive from one side of Scotland to the other in, like, 3 hours. It'd take an entire day just to drive across one state in America!
I guess the currency would be difficult to get used to, aswell as the fact that everything here is overpriced!


As for understanding people, I did not have much of a problem with that anywhere I went, including Scotland. Though I must admit I had a bit more trouble understanding people in Glasgow. Their accent seemed a bit thicker, but still not so bad that I couldn't understand. Edinburgh and Inverness accents were about the same as far as me being able to understand them. My mom had a bit of trouble understanding sometimes, but she had trouble everywhere. To be truthful, I had a harder time understanding Londoners than I did Scots. There were a few time when I would be eavesdropping on Londoners and I seriously had to listen hard to figure out if they were speaking English.

Yeah, I would say life here in the Midwest may be a bit more like the UK than say, NY or CA. (though we do have Chicago and St. Louis and some other big cities in the Midwest.) I would even wager to say that life in my neck of the woods is still more hectic than alot of the UK (except London of course). Not that I'm an expert on the UK or anything, or even NY or CA for that matter since I've never been! :D

As for the money, I didn't find it confusing at all. And as for things being expensive....well, I wouldn't really know since all I really bought was like food and souvenirs, but I will say this: everyone says that London is the most expensive place to visit in Europe, I say balderdash! Paris, and even Luxembourg (but esp. Paris) were far more expensive than London, and that's saying alot when you consider the pound is 1.5 times the amount of the dollar! I couldn't believe the prices of things in Paris! Even on little things, like groceries...

Originally posted by Mossopp


Like I said though, it'd probably depend on exactly where in the States you were coming from. Bootsy's from the Midwest and if what I've heard is correct then life in the Midwest isn't exactly hectic.


If you went to school here you'd notice a huge difference. School spirit is non-existant here. The vast majority of our schools are underfunded and, as a result, are falling apart. For example, they are tearing down the entire east side of the school I used to go to because the building is literally falling down around the students!

True, true. It's funny because I've never been outside of California, (well, I've never really had to go somewhere else, since everything I'll ever need is within an hour drive of where I live). I wouldn't say life is especially hectic (ahhh...suburbs), but we're still very much up to speed.

That's awful that schools are underfunded in Scotland. The problem here is when our school districts do have money, they blow it on a football team that really sucks(like my school's) instead of giving teachers pay raises. Construction also plagues are campuses due to the problem of overcrowding.